ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Sushil Kumar and Mary C. Kom resign as National Sports Observer
 and Boxing , they felt that this could be seen as conflict of interest. Keeping in mind the best of the sporting traditions the athletes submitted their resignation.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has accepted their resignations as National Sports observers. Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports  Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore thanked Shri Sushil Kumar and Ms Mary Kom for their services and said that the Government will continue to benefit from their rich insights and expertise. Sportspersons’ experience will continue to play a vital role in shaping the development of sports in the country, he said.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
MSP Operations during Kharif Marketing Season 2020-21
About 36.13 Lakh Paddy Farmers have benefitted from KMS Procurement Operations with MSP value of Rs. 66135.01 Crore
In the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season  2020-21, Government continues to procure Kharif 2020-21 crops at its MSP from farmers as per its existing MSP Schemes.
Paddy procurement for Kharif 2020-21 has progressed smoothly in the procuring States & UTs of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Odisha Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar with purchase of over 350.29 LMTs of paddy up to 07.12.2020 against the last year corresponding purchase of 292.37 LMT showing an increase of 19.81 % over last year. Out of the total purchase of 350.29 LMT, Punjab alone has purchased 202.77 LMT till the close of procurement season in the state on 30.11.2020 which is 57.88 % of total procurement in the country.
About 36.13 Lac farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement Operations with MSP value of Rs. 66135.01 Crore.
Further, based on the proposal from the States, approval was accorded for procurement of 48.11 LMT of Pulse and Oilseeds of Kharif Marketing Season 2020 for the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh under Price Support Scheme . Further, sanction for procurement of 1.23 LMT of Copra  for the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala was also given. For other States/UTs’ approval will also be accorded on receipt of proposals for procurement of Pulses, Oilseeds and Copra under PSS so that procurement of FAQ grade of these crops can be made at notified MSP for the year 2020-21 directly from the registered farmers, if the market rate goes below MSP during the notified harvesting period in the respective States/UTs by the Central Nodal Agencies through State nominated procuring agencies.
Upto 07.12.2020, the Government through its Nodal Agencies has procured 139458.85 MT of Moong, Urad, Groundnut Pods and Soyabean having MSP value of Rs. 749.85 Crores benefitting 79201 farmers in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Similarly, 5089 MT of copra  having MSP value of Rs.52.40 crore has been procured benefitting 3961 farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu upto 07.12.2020 as against the last year corresponding purchase of 293.34 MT of copra. In respect of Copra and Urad, rates are ruling above MSP in most of the major producing States. The respective State/UTs Governments are making necessary arrangements for commencement of procurement from the date as decided by the respective States based on the arrivals in respect of Kharif Pulses and Oilseeds.
Procurement operations of seed cotton  under MSP are going on smoothly in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka. Till 07.12.2020 a quantity of 4101018 cotton bales valuing Rs.12000.95 Crore has been procured benefitting 796726 farmers.
Prime Minister's Office
PM extends Raising Day greetings to CRPF personnel
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has extended greetings to all CRPF personnel and their families on the occasion of Raising Day.
The Prime Minister tweeted;
“Raising Day greetings to all @crpfindia personnel and their families. This force has distinguished itself for its unflinching courage and distinguished service. The role of CRPF, be it in addressing security challenges or humanitarian challenges is commendable.”
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
UPDATES ON COVID-19
Recovery rate further improves to 58.67%
Difference between Recovered and Active cases further increases to 1,11,602
The graded, pre-emptive and pro-active steps taken by Government of India along with the States/UTs for prevention, containment and management of COVID-19 continue to show encouraging results.
The gap between recoveries and active cases is 1,11,602 as of today. So far, as many as 3,21,722 patients have been cured of COVID-19. The recovery rate continues to steadily improve. It has reached 58.67% amongst COVID-19 patients today.
During the last 24 hours, a total of 12,010 COVID-19 patients have been cured.
Presently, there are 2,10,120 active cases and all are under active medical supervision.
India now has 1047 diagnostic labs dedicated to COVID-19. This includes 760 in the government sector and 287 private labs. The 11 labs that have been inducted in the last 24 hours are all operated by the government.
The break-up is as below:
• Real-Time RT PCR based testing labs: 567 
• TrueNat based testing labs : 393 
• CBNAAT based testing labs : 87 
The total number of samples tested is showing an uphill trend, and has touched 83,98,362.Yesterday 1,70,560 samples were tested.
For all authentic & updated information on COVID-19 related technical issues, guidelines & advisories please regularly visit: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/ and @MoHFW_INDIA.
Technical queries related to COVID-19 may be sent to technicalquery.covid19[at]gov[dot]in and other queries on ncov2019[at]gov[dot]in and @CovidIndiaSeva .
In case of any queries on COVID-19, please call at the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare helpline no.: +91-11-23978046 or 1075 . List of helpline numbers of States/UTs on COVID-19 is also available at https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/coronvavirushelplinenumber.pdf .
Ministry of Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises
MoU between NSIC and CSC
An Memorandum of Understanding  has been signed between National Small Industries Corporation , the PSU under this Ministry and Common Service Centres , e- Governance Services India Ltd. on 22-06-2019 for enhancing new offerings for the MSME sector by synergizing each others' competence. As per MoU, CSC will facilitate enrolment of Village Level Enterprises  on the NSIC portal www.msmemart.com in order to utilise plethora of services provided to MSMEs, facilitate various services of NSIC to other MSMEs, disseminate information regarding NSIC services to its network of VLEs, develop & manage App for data collection of NSICs, maintain the MIS of the project and to provide data/APIs for integration with NSIC portal. Further, NSIC will provide details of various Services offers to MSMEs, necessary support to CSC for registration and enablement of VLEs on the portal, CSC- e-Governance Services India Limited formats/ templates for reporting, incentive of Rs. 100/- to CSC on each successful application on monthly basis.
Both NSIC and CSC shall take up any other activity as mutually agreed including Credit Support Services to MSMEs. They will use existing CSC platform to provide services to MSMEs. So far, no training programmes for disseminating the schemes of NSIC have been worked out by NSIC and CSC.
This information was given by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Education
HRD Minister, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’,inaugurates the third chapter of ‘Manthan- Impeccable Academia” to promote skill development in Media and Entertainment industry today
Skill education forms the backbone of development of any nation:HRD Minister
Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ inaugurated the third chapter of ‘Manthan- Impeccable Academia” today in New Delhi. Media and Entertainment Skills Council  in collaboration with Ministry of Human Resources and Development  organized this event. Filmmaker, Educationist and Chairman MESC Mr. Subhash Ghai, Mr. Subba Rao,Sr. Economic Advisor, Ministry of HRD and other officials and industry persons were present on this occasion.
Speaking on the occasion Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal said thatSkill education forms the backbone of development of any nation, which helps cultivate skilled youth and workforce which is the need of the hour. India's young population is its most valuable asset and dominates 54% of the population. It also has a history of being the world leader in education; to put our vision and mission to create a better skilled population for future, the work MHRD and MESC are doing is commendable. He congratulated MESC and said that under the leadership of Mr. Ghai MESC is truly promoting the Guru-Shishya culture through Vidyadaan.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Subhash Ghai said that Film industry alone employs 72 type of vocational skill workers. Ministry of Human Resource Development and Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship have brought us on a platform to meet the changing needs of the media and entertainment industry. Along with creating a skilled youth, MESC is also dedicated to creating future leaders by providing them a platform like Vidyadaan to train the youth holistically.
MANTHAN is focused on a plethora of opportunities available in the Media and Entertainment Industry. It’s highlighting the possibilities of Association between Media and Entertainment Skills Council  and participating esteemed Academic Institutions, colleges & universities. The Ministry of Human Resource & Development along with MESC has developed specialized employment oriented Bachelor Courses as: BSc. Animation & VFX,BSc. Performing Arts and B.Sc. Film Making.
The Universities concerned are empowered to take up these courses through their colleges, autonomous colleges are readily empowered and other colleges can take up these courses with their University approval. 50 +Colleges/ Universities, signed the MoU with MESC for making the specialized courses for the students at the event including Directorate of higher education, Government of Uttarakhand, Hansraj College, Khalsa College , Tripura University, Sharda university, GD Goenka university, Jain University and many more.
Ministry of Finance
Mumbai Customs recovers contraband heroine worth Rs. 53 crore
Mumbai, 8 March 2023
Based on certain intelligence that a narcotic substance is being smuggled into India by a passenger who is travelling from Addis Ababa to Mumbai, surveillance was mounted by a team of officers from Directorate of Revenue Intelligence , Mumbai Zonal Unit at the CSMI Airport, Mumbai.
The suspected passenger was intercepted by the team of DRI officers on the morning of 7th March and a thorough search of the passenger’s baggage was carried out. It resulted in the recovery of 7.6 kg of off-white powder which was ingeniously concealed in the false cavities made inside the trolley bag being carried by the suspect. The powder tested positive for the presence of heroin. The illicit international market value of the contraband is about ₹ 53 Crore.
The passenger was put under arrest and produced before the CMM Court which remanded the accused to DRI custody till the 10th of March. Further investigation in the instant case is under progress.| PIB MUMBAI | Dheep / Darshana
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Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Shri Anurag Thakur inaugurates friendly Table Tennis match in Kashi Tamil Sangamam
Two cultures are uniting through literature, culture and sports : Shri Anurag Thakur
Reviews the upgradation of the Sigra Stadium in Varanasi
Conducted space audit of various offices of the I&B Ministry in Varanasi
Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Anurag Thakur said that two cultures are uniting through literature, culture and sports and other genres at the ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’ event. He inaugurated the friendly Table Tennis match organized today as a part of the eight day long ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam - Sports Summit’.
Shri Anurag Thakur inspected and reviewed the upgradation of the Sigra Stadium in Varanasi. He proposed changes for the betterment of the stadium upgradation work. He also conducted space audit of various offices of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in Varanasi. He visited Kashi Vishwanath Temple and offered his prayers.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Anurag Thakur said that in the ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’ event, various programs of literature and culture are taking place and as such the initiative of connecting North and South through sports is also happening. He also said that the linkages between North and South reflect our ancient traditions which are more than thousands of years old.
Shri Thakur thanked the Prime Minister for his initiative of Kashi Tamil Sangamam and said that through this grand event, the vision of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' is being realized. He also said that the enthusiasm which is being seen among the players today, the same passion is also seen among the players of participating teams from Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Shri Thakur also said that the people of Tamil Nadu are not only getting an opportunity to visit ‘Kashi Vishwanath’ but are also getting acquainted with the art and culture of this place, which is a matter of pride for all. He interacted with all the players from Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.AK
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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
Shri Nitin Gadkari to launch the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme 
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari will launch the much-awaited Bharat New Car Assessment Programme  on 22nd August 2023. This programme is a significant step forward in the Government’s commitment to improve road safety through raising the safety standards of motor vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes in India.
The programme aims to provide a tool to the car customers to make a comparative assessment of crash safety of motor vehicles available in the market. Under this programme, car manufacturers can voluntarily offer their cars tested as per Automotive Industry Standard  197. Based on the performance of the car in the tests, car will be awarded star ratings for Adult Occupants  and Child Occupant . Potential car customers can refer to these star ratings to compare the safety standards of different vehicles and accordingly make their purchase-decision.
It is expected that the demand for safer cars will increase, encouraging the car manufacturers to comply with customer needs. With high safety standards, Indian cars will be able to compete better in the global market, increasing the export potential of the car manufacturers in India. The programme is expected to develop a safety sensitive car market in India.
Special Service and Features
V.O. Chidambaranar Port creates yet another record by handling highest number of Import Windmill blades in a single consignment
On 27 .10.2022, V.O. Chidambaranar Port handled 120 number of imported windmill blades, the highest volume in a single consignment, surpassing the previous highest import of 60 windmill blades in a single consignment. The entire consignment was handled diligently with two Harbour Mobile cranes, with utmost concern for the safety of the cargo and cargo handling workers.
The flatbottomed Vessel ‘MV.NAN FENG ZHI XING’ with arrival draft of 6.60 metres, loaded with 120 windmill blades , was berthed at the Port on 25.10.2022 and the entire consignment was unloaded in a span of 44 Hours. The windmill blades manufactured in China were shipped from the Port of Changshu and imported through VOC Port for the windmill farms functioning across the Country.
V.O. Chidambaranar Port, with a commendable track record in handling of windmill blades and accessories, had handled 2906 windmill blades during the financial year 2021-2022 and 1598 windmill blades during the current financial year up to September, 2022. The Port provides ample storage area for stacking the windmill blades and accessories, congestion free and easy access to the long retractable Windmill blade trucks, and the hinterland access is seamless through the National Highways network connecting the Port
Shri T.K. Ramachandran, IAS, Chairman, V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority, congratulated the Vessel Agent, M/s. Aasian Shipping Agencies, Tuticorin, the Stevedore & Shore Handling Agent, M/s. NTC Logistics Private Limited, the Harbour Mobile Crane Operator and the Port officials & workers for their well co-ordinated and safe cargo handling operations for this remarkable performance. He also stated that “The excellent services offered by VOC Port in handling of Windmill blades directly contributes to service mechanism towards sustainable development in the region and helps to enhance renewable energy capacity of India”.
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Ministry of Railways
Railway Board reviews security, crowd management, enforcement of COVID protocol, action against human trafficking and other arrangements in covid times as footfalls increase at railway stations and festival season arrives
Railway stations and trains will witness manifold increase in footfall during the upcoming festive season. To face the challenges posed by increased footfall effectively, especially during the pandemic wherein COVID protocol also needs to be rigorously enforced, Chairman-cum-CEO/Railway Board, Member  and DG/RPF interacted with officers of the field formation at zonal and divisional levels through a video conference on 16/10/2020.
Field formations were asked to launch intensive awareness campaign among the travelling passengers regarding the guidelines issued by Railway administration to prevent the spread of corona virus in railway stations and trains. They were also asked to strictly enforce the COVID protocol.
Since the footfall in stations and trains is slated to increase during the festival season, need was felt to launch a focused initiative across all zones for the safety and security of women passengers. To provide better safety and security to lady passengers travelling by trains, a new initiative “Meri Saheli” was launched. This initiative is aimed to instil a sense of security among the lady passengers and respond effectively to any security related issue faced or seen by lady passengers.
It was felt that offenders involved in human trafficking may try to indulge in trafficking of women and children taking advantage of the festive season rush as they are most vulnerable to this crime. Action plan to curb the menace of human trafficking during the upcoming festive season was discussed. It was decided that a sustained and concerted drive will be launched to identify and apprehend the traffickers.
Field formations have been directed to continue their drive against touts cornering reserved railway tickets and selling it to needy passengers at a premium.
Ministry of Coal
Coal Supply Rationalisation Scheme
Ministry of Coal has issued the Policy for Linkage Rationalization for Independent Power Producers  on 15.05.2018. The policy envisages to undertake a comprehensive review of existing sources of coal and consider the feasibility for rationalization of sources with a view to optimize the transportation cost and materialization taking into account coal availability and logistics.
As per request received from consumers, linkage rationalization of eligible IPPs has been done at Coal India Limited  for a total rationalized quantity of 2 Million Tonnes. The annual potential savings estimated by Central Electricity Authority for the above rationalization would be about Rs. 118 crore.
This information was given by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Shri Pralhad Joshi in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Steel
Olympic Bronze Medalist PV Sindhu, Felicitated by RINL, Ministry of Steel
Olympic Bronze Medalist and Brand Ambassador, PV Sindhu was felicitated on her recent success in the Tokyo Olympics by RINL, Ministry of Steel at Vizag.
On the occasion, Shri DK Mohanty, CMD Addl. Charge, RINL said that Miss PV Sindhu is a source of pride for the country and Vizag Steel. She made the entire country proud with her back to back Olympic wins. Addressing the gathering, Shri Mohanty highlighted PV Sindhu’s achievements and contributions to sports and promoting the brand image of RINL-Vizag Steel as its Brand Ambassador in the country and abroad. Sri Mohanty said that RINL is active in promoting and strengthen ports activities and maintaining the Sports infrastructure in Ukkunagaram . He urged employees and children to make use of all sports facilities.
Ms Sindhu expressed her gratitude to the management for reposing trust in her for becoming a “Brand Ambassador of RINL-Vizag Steel”. Responding to the felicitations, Ms PV Sindhu acknowledged the support of RINL in strengthening sports and praised RINL for the several sports initiatives being taken up by RINL.
Inline with the clarion call given by the Prime Minister of India in his recent interaction with Olympic winners for promoting nutrition and encouraging sports among school children, she interacted with Visakha Vimala Vidyalayam children of Ukkunagaram. She also visited Arunodya Special School and interacted with special children besides inaugurating the CISF Badminton Hall.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
V. Palanichamy takes over as new ADG, PIB Kerala
Sri. V. Palanichamy IIS has taken over charge as the new Additional Director General of Press Information Bureau, and Regional Outreach Bureau Kerala, under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Prior to this he had been working as Director  All India Radio, Chennai.
Shri. Palanichamy, belonging to 1995 batch of Indian Information Service had earlier worked in Press Information Bureau New Delhi and was also Regional Officer, Central Board of Film Certification, Chennai. Earlier, he had also headed IEC division of National AIDS Control Organisation .
An alumni of IIM Bengaluru, Sri. Palanichamy had undergone training on Public Policy at Syracuse University, USA, Queensland university of Technology, Brisbane, Australia and University of California, Berkeley, United States.
Ministry of Railways
More Than 43000 Passengers Provided Accommodation Under Vikalp Scheme During 2022-23
With a view to provide confirmed accommodation to waitlisted passengers and also to ensure optimal utilization of available accommodation, the Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme  known as ‘VIKALP’ was launched in 2016. This scheme is available on Indian Railway on pan India basis. The details of alternate train accommodation scheme are as follows:
- Under this scheme, waiting list passengers can give choice to opt for ATAS scheme. The passengers have the option for getting shifted to a train whose time of departure is upto 72 hours from the date and time for which the original ticket has been booked. The passengers who have not opted for VIKALP at the time of booking can also opt for VIKALP upto 24 hours before scheduled departure of train.
- The scheme is applicable to all waiting list passengers irrespective of booking quota and concession.
- Neither any extra charges are taken from passenger nor is any refund provided for difference of fare.
- ATAS opted passengers who remain fully Waitlisted at the time of preparation of first reservation chart, are considered for allotment in the alternate train.
- Either all passengers of a PNR or none is transferred to alternate train in same class.
- Waitlisted passengers of original train are not allowed to board the original train if allotted alternate accommodation.
The total number of waitlisted passengers who were provided accommodations under this scheme in Financial Year 2022-23  is 43,803.
This information was given by the Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronic & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.